Helping You Relax While We Care for Your Smile
Every year, millions of Americans miss out on essential dental care due to dental anxiety and dental phobia. We know this issue affects a lot of our patients, so we’ve created a relaxing and friendly office environment where you’ll feel at home. Our Swansea dental team cares about your well-being and we’ll treat you like a person, not just a file in our system.
Common Dental Anxieties
Various issues can lead patients to experience dental anxiety. Just thinking about visiting the dentist triggers the following types of feelings in many patients:
- Embarrassment about the condition of their teeth
- Fear of gagging during the procedure
- Concern about being injected with anything
- Apprehension about experiencing a loss of control
- Concern about becoming numb from the anesthetic
- Concern about painful procedures
- Apprehension of dental tools
Strategies for Overcoming Dental Anxiety
When patients avoid visiting the dentist due to anxiety, they’re missing out on important preventative care. This will exacerbate easily treatable issues and it could even lead to the loss of teeth. The following strategies will help reduce your dental anxiety so Dr. Wilson and Dr. Banker can continue to protect your smile with regular checkups in Swansea, IL.
Talk to Us
Our dentists have created a warm and friendly atmosphere at Corner Stone Dental. We’re trained to help patients with dental anxiety, and we’ll be happy to sit down with you and talk about your concerns.
There are several types of precautions that we can take before and during your visit to reduce tension. We’ll work together to make sure you feel comfortable at Corner Stone Dental:
Relaxing Music
Music can relax your body and drown out any noises that may disturb you. If you’d like to bring a portable music player, we encourage you to listen to calming music during your appointment.
Agree on a Signal
Not being able to speak during your appointment can lead to anxiety about your dentist not knowing when you’re having an issue. The best way to solve this problem is to agree on a hand signal that will let us know when to stop. Raising a hand or tapping on the chair are two common signals.
Throat Sprays
Spraying your throat with a spray such as Vicks® Chloraseptic® Throat Spray can help manage your gag reflex. Two or three sprays will usually keep the reflex under control for about an hour.
Dental Sedation
We offer dental sedation in the form of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas. This is a low-level sedative that allows you to relax during your appointment, though you’ll remain conscious the whole time. You’ll quickly recover from the sedative after your appointment.
Ask About Alternatives
Advances in technology have brought about more options for you. If you’re anxious about your appointment or procedure, let us know and we can discuss ways to make your appointment faster, easier, and less invasive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dental anxiety is relatively common, at around 36% of the general population. Around 12% of people have severe dental fear. There’s no need to feel bad about having a fear of the dentist, but it’s important to bring it up with your dentist. Avoiding dental appointments can have a terrible effect on your oral health and the appearance of your smile. Our dentists care about your well-being and your comfort, so we’ll work with you to find a solution for your dental anxiety.
No, you won’t feel pain during your visit if you’re sedated. Even low-level sedation such as nitrous oxide dulls your senses enough to take away the pain. You’ll still be awake, but you’ll be less aware of what’s going on around you during your treatment. Stronger sedatives further take you away from your procedure so you’ll hardly remember it, if at all. Your dentist will determine the level of sedation that’s best for your treatment.
How long sedation lasts depends on the type of sedation you’re given. Nitrous oxide wears off fairly quickly, so you’ll likely be able to drive yourself home after your procedure. But oral sedatives are stronger and take more time to wear off. For safety, make sure to coordinate a ride with someone else so you won’t be behind the wheel.